Winding machine



' Feb. 11, 1941. J TT 2,230,991

WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 11, 1941. E, J ABBOTT 2,230,991

WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 :s SheetgSheet 2 J: l f ':T1

' c /NVE/V70Q Kan A20 J, A550 -77 Feb. 11, 1941. E. J. ABBOTT WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-$heet 3 6 W a 0 m Patented Feb. 11, 19 41 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE poration of New Ham Application January 5, 1931, serial is. 506,530

3 Claims. (01. 242-43) This invention relates to winding machines and relates more particularly to the traverse devices of such machines, and to various strand-handling machines performing a winding function.

My invention is particularly applicable to machines having traverse devices adapted to lay a winding strand (for instance, of yarn) in successive layers of reversed quick-pitch spiral windings, thus to form a headless self-sustain- 0 ing cylindrical or conical packages or cheese, and

will be explained in this connection. The present application contains numerous features and attains certain of the objects of my copending application, Serial No. 476,776, filed August 21, 1930, now Patent No. 2,135,485 entitled "Machine and method for preparing yarn packages,"

aind is in part a continuation of that applicat on.

Among the objects of the present application are to provide in a winding machine a more durable rotary traversing element than heretofore, and to provide a traversing device which may be run continually at high speed without excessive vibration or wear and without deviation "of the winding strand from the desired pattern of winding.

The present invention, while possessing features of general applicability in winding machines, is especially adapted for cooperation with the circulatory carriers and general organization of cheese winding machines of my Patent No. 1,609,639 dated December 7, 1926, of the patent of E. J. and W. G. Abbott, No. 1,700,425, dated January 29, 1929, and of my above copending application. My invention has for another of its objects to provide in such machines a relative adjustment of the traversing devices and of the holders of the winding packages on the carriers of circulatory textile machines, such that each package may be wound on its core in the same position with relation to the lengthwise dimension of the core. Accordingly a package wound on one of the carriers, and then depleted by unwinding, may bev built up to full size on' any of the machines other carriers, indiscriminately chosen. Thus a circulatory-carrier cheese winding machine, improved by my present invention, may be used for the building up of depleted packages without regard to which carrier is utilized for such supplemental winding, the operator (or an automatic substitute thereof as disclosed in Patent No. 1,700,425) preferably placing the depleted package on the winding spindle of the first inactive carrier which passes. The improvement of the present inventhe I package,

tion then renders it possible for the winding machine to complete a partially depleted or unfinished package by laying supplemental layers of windings in exact endwise correspondence with the original layers of reversed spiral windings so that shall be no appreciable discrepancy between the new end surfaces defined by the cusps of the new spiral windings and the old end surfaces defined by the similar cusps of the original underlying spiral windings.

Numerous other objects of invention, advantages, and features of novelty will be apparent from a consideration of the specific instance of my invention explained by way of example only,

1138131115 specification and its accompanying draw- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a circulatory-carrier winding machine to which the present invention is particularly applicable, this view omitting many of the frame, drivingand controlling parts of the machine, and all but two of its numerous circulating winding carriers, for clarity of illustration; 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the upper portion of one of the circulatory winding carriers on the guideway of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing in plan the traverse mechanism of the carrier, the cover plate of the carrier being removed to expose parts beneath;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line ll of Fig. 3 through the rotary traverse barrel of the carrier nd its driving roll;

Fig. 5 is a plan of t e strand traverse guide of Fig. 3, to a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the circulatory carriers of the machine, the cover plate of the carrier and the tension, slub-catching and detector devices mounted thereon and associated trated as exemplifying the present invention includes in common with the machines of the above patents and application, a continuous 'guldeway constituted of upper and lower rails As preferably constructed an individual winding carrier includes an upright frame element or plate 66 (Fig. 6) adapted to bridge the distance between the rails 4 and 6 and provided at its lower end with a horizontal projection 6| carrying an anti-friction roll 62 and a steadying pin 66, roll 62 and pin 66 embracing between them the vertical flange of the rail 5.

At its upper end the plate 66 may be integral with or attached to an upper head portion 65 which constitutes a part of the frame of the carrier I 6, for example by bolts 66. The head 66 has outwardly projecting parallel end plates 66 and 61 spaced apart to provide room between them for a rotary traverse cylinder Ill having a groove therein which determines the configuration of the wound layers in the winding package. One of the end plates of the head 65 may be extended as shown at 66 in Fig. 2, and terminate in a split clamp 66* adapted to retain a stationary pivot pin 66''. Upon this pin, a package-carrying arm 'll may turn, this outer end of this arm II forming a split clamp for a spindle 12 for a winding core or package carrier w. (Fig. 2) As shown in plan in Fig. 9, the outer portion of the package-carrying arm II is provided with a boss 'Il' surrounding the spindle 12, the boss being of appropriate size and shape to form an abutment for the rear end of a rotating core to as the core is rotated by the roll 50. As the carrier progresses along the tractorroll, the reaction of the roll 50 upon the core or a winding package thereon, serves yieldingly to retain the rear end of the core w in contact with this abutment, thus accurately positioning the core in an axial direction with respect to carrier; regardless of the exact length of the core.

A suitable molder for a supply of yarn to be wound is provided on the carrier, preferably in the form of a spindle pin I22 (Fig. 6) adapted to receive a spinning or like bobbin. The supply holder is located in position for a winding strand leading therefrom to pass the traverse barrel 10 on its ways to a winding package on the spindle 12, the traverse barrel III being provided for the purpose of imparting reciprocatory movement to the part of the strand approaching the winding package to cause the strand to lie on the package in overlapped layers of quick-pitch spirals. This manner of winding forms the typical Fiji-wound headless self-sustaining package of cylindrical or by in the direction of the arrow in Figs. 1 and tractor rolls 66 and 6| of the above patents and application, these driven .tractor'rolls extending along opposite straight portions of the guideway, and having associated therewith any suitable motor or connections to a course of power, such for example as is described in the above patents and application. With such a. construction the length of the lever arm II is suchastobringthe surface of winding core to or the winding thereon always into surface contact with one of the rolls 66 or 6| adjacent to which the carriage I6 is being traversed, and the offset position of the pin 66'' is suchastoprovideanarm'll longenoughto sweep a suiiicient arc for the expected radius of the carrier w and the winding upon it. In normal operation the weight of the arm II and its attachments holds the winding mass firmly in frictional figntaitl with the upper surface of the tractor roll or 0n the back face of the head 66 at points i y'l y separated. studs 66 may be provided to carry anti-friction rolls 61 which rest on the top surface of the rail 6, and support the weight of the carriage.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 8, the traverse cam 16, suitably grooved at 16', has in a recess at its end an outer ball race 66 taking over a series of balls 66 supported by an exterior groove in a stationary inner race 6| providedwith a nipple 62 fast thereto. Nipple 62 carries a cross pin 66 to take over the forked and reduced inner end of a pintle 66 which may be retained in a hole in the member 61 of the head 66, as by a set screwfl Preferably both ends of the cylinder are provided with similar bearings, the pintle 66 at the opposite end of the cylinder being secured in an opening in the member 66 of the head 66. This arrangement is such that yarn or fly does not tend to work around the pintle 64, since the latter is stationary.

An annular guard plate 60 is preferably fitted into the opening of the recess of the cylinder, substantially closing the recess about the pintle 94, to protect the anti-friction bearing. In order that the anti-friction bearing may be easily lubricated, the pintle 66 is provided with a conduit 66 for transmitting lubricant to the bearing. As shown, the pintle is hollow throughout its length, the conduit 96? extending to the outer end of the pintle and there being closed by'a spring-pressed cap or button 66 of a suitable fitting 66 adapted to receive lubricant from a grease gun or the like.

The traverse cylinder preferably derives its operative motion from a source common to that of the driving motion of the winding package; in the illustrated machine the traverse cylinder is frictionally driven by the tractor roll 66 or 6|. Preferably the traverse cylinder is provided at each end with a friction ring 10" of cork, cork composition, felt, rubberized felt, rubber aggregated ground cork, or any other durable friction material, these rings P jecting S ly beyond the cylindrical surface of the cam body.

A winding machine according to the present invention may have a large number of carriers I0. each comprising an individually constructed and assembled unit which includes a unit frame carrying one of the rotary traverse elements Ill and the spindle 12 or analogous holder for the core of the winding package. In the use of the illustrated machine, cylindrical or conical headless self-sustaining strand packages are built up on the several carriers, the packages being wound to a predetermined desired maximum diameter, and

upon it is desired to wind on the partially ex-- hausted package other windings sufflcient to bring the package again to its maximum diameter.

It will be understood that the relation of the cam groove 10! lengthwise with respectv to the spindle 12 or analogous holder for a core of a winding package determines the lengthwise placing of windings on a core, or winding package. In the absenceof means whereby a lengthwise adjustment could be obtained between the grooved barrels I0 and the corresponding spindles, the slight differences in form between the various carrier units of a given machine would result in the practical impossibility of causing a subsequent winding formed on one unit to correspond in lengthwise position on itscore to'an underlying winding previously formed on a different unit.

My invention therefore preferably provides an adjustment of the relative positions of the holder for the winding package, and of the barrel' It of each individual carrier unit of the machine. Preferably, as shown in Figs. ,6 and 8, the two side plates 66 and 87 of the carrier unit are spaced sumciently from the ends of the barrel it to permit the barrel W to be moved amally to .some extent. Referring to Figs. 2, 6- and 8, the pintles M for the barrel are normally held-fast by the screws 9t. By loosening these screws on any given carrier, the two pintles and the barrel iii of the carrier unit may be moved axially to such a point that the lengthwise positioning by the barrel Ill of wound layers on a winding package core is the same as that of the woundlayers upon a core on any other unit of the machine, or other similar machine. Referring to Fig. 9, the reference character it indicates the distance from the end of the core w, and the abutment ll against which it presses, the series of cusps of the strand windings S on the core. By loosening the screws 94 and shifting the rotary traverse barrel Ill and its pintles 9t axially, the range of traverse of the winding strand may be shifted to adjust this distanced to the desired amount. Preferably in a given machine, the rotary traverse barrel of the several carrier units are individually adjusted so as to lay the windings on each of the several winding cores at the same distance from the rear end of the core. In this way the units of the machine may be rendered interchangeable in respect to the completion of partially depleted packages on any of the several carrier unitsto produce outwardly substantially identical full packages. Thus a package wound on one unit of my machine, and then partially depleted by unwinding (as for example in a warper creel) may be placed on any of the spindles of the machine and brought to full size by winding additional layers of quickpitch spiral windings thereon, the ends of these additional layers collectively defining surfaces conforming to theend surfaces of the layers remaining from the previous winding operation.

' Referring now to Fig. 2, the head portion 65, including end plates 66 and 61, of the carriage I0, is preferably arranged to have limited motion toward and away from the tractor rolls 5c and 5| for the purpose of providing freedom in respect to the rail 4 and the roll 50 or St, for accommodating curvatures at the end of the machine, and to enable the traverse cam 10 to be provided with bearings without lateral freedom of motion, provision being made for resiliently urging the upper part of the carriage toward the tractor roll, thereby holding the rotary traverse cam in frictional driving contact with the tractor roll.

' As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the head 65,

preferably an integral casting, is provided not only with the outstanding end members Q6 and 61, but is also provided with rearwardly proiecting lugs 16 above the plane of-the rail 4, said lugs being vertically bored. The bore in one lug 16 receives the central portion of a pin 11 whose opposite end portions are disposed in bores in the forked end of a link 19 having a bearing hole at its other end to receive a pivot pin 80 carried by the chain 30. The bore in the other lug 16 receives a pin 8| on which is pivoted a link 82 carrying a'vertical axle pin 83 for an anti-friction roll at. Link 82 is provided with alug into which is hooked a tractor rod 85 extending through a bore 86 in'the head 65 and provided with a spring Bl adjustable by a nut 81*. The spring Bl urges the roll 86 toward the head 65 and against the interior or rearvertical face of the rail 6.

Inward or rearward motion of the head 65,

thus induced, is limited on curved portions of the guideway by anti-friction rolls B9, 88 on vertical downwardly projecting studs disposed respectively near opposite ends of head 65 and adapted to bear against the outer face of the rail 4%. It

will be observed that the contact points of the the roll 59 or 5! suflicient to permit the spring- 81 to hold the traverse cam iii in pressure contact with the tractor roll 50 or. 5H.

The fact that the pressure roll M has its point of contact with the rail t half-way between the points of contact of the tires 70 and the tractor roll Bil or 5|, permits an equalization of the pressure on these two tires, and makes for longer wear. 1

While various constructions of traverse devices operating on the principle of a. rotary grooved cylinder may be employed in the circulating carriers of the machine, I prefer to employ a grooved cam cylinder of small diameter relative to the maximum attainable diameter "of the wound package and to provide in the cylinder a spiral groove having no more than maximum operative pitch but crossing itself at least once, and usually several times. Such a cam preferably comprises, as shown, an essentially solid bar of steel. The cam, by virtue of its construction, may readily be case-hardened in enabling the cam to be case-hardened without distortion, 3, solid body of moderate diameter being obviously less subject to distortion under heat treatment than a large hollow body. The case- 1 rod III fastened tothe opposite plates 68 and 61 by nuts I00 and constituting one guide for a slider I0I having revolubly mounted in its lower end a pin I04 (Fig. 4) which carries a cam follower I engaging the cam groove of the traverse cam I0.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be observed that the axis of the guide rod I00 is in a vertical plane intermediate the vertical planes of the axes of the roll 50 and the traverse cam 10.

The shape of the slider as viewed from the'side in Fig. 4 may be characterized as generally triangular, the slider fitting within the approximately triangular space defined by the roll 50, the traverse cam I0 and a cover plate IIO for the cam. The slider, as shown in Fig. 4 is provided with a part I0I extending laterally from the guide rod toward the point of contact of the windingmass and tractor roll 50, this part carrying an upturned extension I06 comprising the slotted yarn-engaging traverse eye of the slider, and is also provided with a part IOI extending laterally from the guide rod opposite to part I0l These laterally extending parts IIII and NH are preferably flat on their upper surfaces, as shown in Fig. 5 to permit these parts to slide in engagement with the under surface of the cover plate I In as shown in Fig. 4. The cover plate thus constitutes a key to prevent the slider from rotating on its guide rod I00 and also a guide relatively close to the bite of the tractor roll 50 and winding package to prevent'vibration of the slider as the latter is traversed to and fro by the cam 10. The cover plate IIO acts as a yarn guide and is preferably bent at H0 in a projecting angle in the path of the yarn, so that the yarn runs in contact with the cover plate from this point I I0- until it leaves the cover plate at the traverse eye I06. The arrangement of parts whereby the slider IN is kept in constant sliding contact with the cover plate 0 close to the traverse eye, insures that yam passing over this portion of the plate will be picked up and traversed by the slotted traverse eye at high speeds of the eye which would cause undue vibration were the slider not thus uided. The attaineddiminution of vibration of the traversing slider permits the upturned part I06 comprising the traverse eye to be relatively short, and the slot'in this eye relatively shallow, thus facilitating picking up of the yarn strand by the fastmoving slider.

It will be readily apparent that elimination of undue vibration of the traverse eye I06 apart from its intended reciprocatory motion across the winding package is very desirable for the'purposes of diminishing wear of the moving parts and preventing unintended disengagement of the strand and preventing deviation of the winding strand from its intended pattern on the winding package. To these ends the illustrated cam follower element is especially formed to cooperate with the groove I0 of the barrel for smooth running under conditions of extremely high speed. 7

The traversing groove 10 may be considered to be constituted of a right-hand spiral portion I0 and a left-hand spiral portion 10*", (Figs. '7 '7 and '7) these two portions being joined at their ends by curved connecting portions 10". The rotation of the cylinder is in the direction of the arrows y in Figs. '7, 7 and 7". Referring to Fig. '7", the cam follower element I05 is shown as engaged by the right-hand spiral portion I0 of the groove. The cam follower element I05" is shaped on its right-hand side surface so that at least two longitudinally spaced points on this side surface will simultaneously contact with the driving side wall of this portion 10" of the groove, and preferably for the major portion of such surface'substantially to conform to this drivin side wall 'of the groove. Thus the follower element as it is pressed by the driving wall of the groove is steadied thereby against oscillation about the axis of its pin I04.

The opposite or left side surface of the cam follower element is likewise similarly shaped so that at least two longitudinally spaced points will contact with the driving wall of the left-hand spiral portion 10 of the groove, and preferably for the major portion of said surface of the follower substantially to conform to this driving side wall of the groove.

The capability of the follower in its preferred illustrated form to conform successively to the driving walls of the oppositely inclined spiral portions of the groove involves a certain freedom of motion in these portions of the groove as clearly shown in Fig. 7 wherein the right-hand side of the follower is shown as conforming to the driving wall of the right-hand spiral portion 10 of the groove.

' Preferably the lengthwise extent of conformity of the side surface of the follower to the driving wall of the groove is greater than the length of a gap left in the driving wall at the places of crossing of the right and left hand portions of the groove, and in the illustrated preferred embodiment is approximately twice the length of such gap. Thus referring to Figs. 7 and 7 the illustrated follower is shaped to conform to the driving wall of the groove over a distance included within the construction lines a and b, which are distant approximately twice the length of the gap in the wall of the groove. As a consequence it is assured that while the follower is crossing the gap, the follower will be adequately held by a contact with the unbroken parts of 'of the groove. Referring to Fig. '7 it will be apparent that before the cylinder has advanced to bring the gap in the wall opposite to the pivot pin I04 about which the follower would tend to rotate, the forward end of the follower will have engaged the unbroken part of the groove wall past the gap.

While I have described the preferred form of follower as conforming to a wall of the cam groove, approximate as well as absolute conformity will usually sumce to give an easy-running long-lived follower evincing freedom from vibratiom Thus while the side driving wall of the groove may constitute a warped surface generated by a radial line rotating and advancing axially of the cylinder, the pitch of the groove is not in general steeper than will admit of a straight-sided follower element approximately conforming to the driving wall of the groove.

Thus with the illustrated cam cylinder having a diameter of about 1 inches and a radially cut groove of rectangular cross-section with an axial traverse of 6 inches in three revolutions, the follower illustrated herewith in conjunction with this cam may be characterized as having straight sides between the construction lines a and b.

The forwardand rear, or leading and trailing, ends 15 and I5 of the follower are preferably tapered or rounded to facilitate the transfer of the follower from one spiral portion of the groove to the other at the curved connecting portions 10 of the groove at opposite ends of the cam, the curvature of the ends of the follower preferably substantially coinciding with the curvature of the connecting portions 10 of the groove, as shown in Fig. 7. Referring to Fig. 7, the follower will be seen at the end point at which it is transferred from the right hand spiral portion to the left-hand spiral portion of the groove, the tapered or rounded end portions of the follower engaging the outer roll of the curved connecting portion of the groove at this point, while the substantially straight intermediate portion of the follower engages the inner wall of this portion of the groove. Thus the follower preferably has little or no lost motion at this point and is not free to vibrate within the groove as it passes from one right or left hand portion of the groove to the other.

As contrasted with a follower of oval or like shape having a distinctly bowed or convex middle portion, the follower. described herein affords a materially increased area of contact with the groove walls. As a consequence, the life of the follower is materially prolonged, wear is retarded, and vibration attendant upon wear is diminished.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only-and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a winding machine for yarn and the like, the combination of a traverse cam, a slider adapted to be moved to and fro by the cam, a

traverse eye on the slider, and a cover plate for the cam, said cover plate having one surface 110- sitioned to guide the slider as the latter is moved, and having its opposite surface disposed to constitute a guide for yarn approaching said traverse eye.

2. A winding machine of the type having means for holding a winding mass of yarn in peripheral contact with a rotatable roll during winding, the machine including a cylindrical traverse cam disposed adjacent and generally parallel to the yarn-contacting roll, a slider movable to and fro by the cam, and a guide for the slider disposed in a plane intermediate the vertical planes of the axes of said roll and said cam, said slider including a part extending from said guide toward the point of contact of the winding mass and said roll and including an upturned part adapted to engage and traverse the yarn.

3. A winding machine of the type having means for holding a winding mass of yarn in peripheral contact with a rotatable roll during winding, the machine including a cylindrical traverse cam disposed adjacent and generally .parallel to the yarn-contacting roll, a slider 

